Rotary mechanism

ABSTRACT

A rotary mechanism adapted for use with a rotary compressor or rotary engine which comprises a housing constituting a spherical chamber and a pair of rotary members including a pair of conical members coupled together by coupling spherical member so as to be rotatably received in said spherical chamber.

United States Patent n 1 Nishioka 1 11 3,708,252 1451 Jan.2,1973

s4] ROTARY MECHANISM [76] Inventor: Hideki Nishioka, 174s lsshiki,Hayama-cho, Miura-gun, Kanagawa-ken, Japan 22 Filed: July 1,1971 21Appl. No.: 158,966

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 1, 1970 Japan .45/57117 [52]US. Cl ..'.4-l8/195 [51] Int. Cl ..F0lc 1/08, F03c 3/00, F04c 1/14 [58]Field of Search ..418/195, 205, 68

[56] I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,040,664 6/l962 Hartley..4l8/195 Primary Examiner-William L. Freeh Anorney-l(emon, Palmer &Estabrook [57] ABSTRACT p v A rotary mechanism adapted for use with arotary I compressor or rotary engine which comprises a housingconstituting a spherical chamber and a pair of rotary members includinga pair of conical members coupled together by coupling spherical memberso as to be rotatably received in said spherical chamber.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures ROTARY MECHANISM This invention relates to arotary mechanism and more particularly, though not limited, to a rotarymechanism adapted for use with a rotary compressor or rotary engine.

- A rotary mechanism is known to be more advantageous in many respectsthan a reciprocating type. However, a rotary engine known to date isgenerally of complicated construction and likely to give rise to failureand increase manufacturing cost.

It is accordingly the object of this invention to provide a durablerotary mechanism of relatively simple construction which is capable of aprominently effective performance.

The present invention can be more fully understood from the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with reference to theappended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rotary compressor using a rotarymechanism of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of said mechanism as viewed from line ll-Il ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rotary member use in the invention;and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a rotary engine using the rotary mechanismof the invention. I

There will now be described by reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 a rotarycompressor using a rotary mechanism according to this invention. Numeralll denotes a housing constituting a spherical chamber 12 which issplittable in two parts, though not shown. Numerals 13 and 14 show apair of rotary members coupled together by a spherical member 15disposed at the center of said spherical chamber 12 so as to act as acommon center of rotation of said rotary members. Each of said pairedrotary members 13 and 14 include a pair of round truncated conicalmembers 16 and 17. The apical surface of each conical member abuts onsaid common spherical member slidably and in airtight relationship, thebottom peripheral edge thereof is pressed against the inner wall of saidspherical chamber 12 in a similar manner, and the top portion thereofdefines a vertical angle of 90 coaxially with an imaginary line passingthrough the center of said spherical chamber 12. There is also provideda partitioning plate member 18 which is disposed in a plane including animaginary line passing through said paired conical members 16 and 17 andthe center of said spherical chamber 12. Said partitioning plate member18 has a truncated sectorial form, the top or apical part of which abutson the outer peripheral surface of the coupling spherical memberslidably and in airtight relationship and the outer edge of which ispressed against the inner walls of said spherical chamber 1 1 in asimilar manner. Both sides of said.

partitioning plate member 18 are fixed on the peripheral surfaces ofsaid conical members 16 and 17 so as to couple them together. Theseconical members l6 and 17 and partitioning plate member 18 may beintegrally fabricated, for example, by molding from properwear-resistant material. To said paired rotary members is fitted a shaft19 disposed at right angles to the common axis of said paired conicalmembers 16 and 17, the inner end of which is connected to the center ofthe outer edge of the partitioning plate member.l8 and the outer end ofwhich is rotatably inrotary members.

serted into a journal box 20 provided in the housing 1 l for connectionwith a motor (not shown). As described above, said paired rotary members13 and 14 are rotatably 'coupled together by the common couplingspherical member 15. The shafts '19 of both rotary members are sodisposed'as to define an angleof less than Thus said four conicalmembers and the partitioning plate members define within said sphericalchamber 12 four compartments'a, b, c and d whose volumes can be variedaccording to the rotation of said In the housing 1 1 are perforated aplurality of sets of supply and delivery ports 21 and 22, each set ofsupply and delivery ports being so disposed as to have the journal box20 interposed therebetween.

When said paired rotary members 13 and 14 are "rotated by motor in thedirection of A (FIG. 1), the

compartment a begins suction through a port 21. After rotatingsubstantially 180, said rotary members 13 and 14 are shifted to acompression stage to expel compressed gas through a port 22, andreturned to their original position, completing one cycle of operation.Said cycle 'is conducted in the same manner with respect to all thecompartments'a, b, c and d. It will be apparent, therefore, that eitherof said ports 21 and 22 can be used for supply -or delivery according tothe rotating direction of said rotary members 13 and 14.

The compression ratio of this compressor is determined by the angle 6defined by the shafts, 19 of said paired rotary members 13 and 14.Selection of said angle can provide a compressor performing compressionin any desired ratio. Adaptability of the rotary mechanism of thisinvention to an internal combustion engine will be clearly understoodfrom the foregoing description of the arrangement and operation of theaforesaid compressor.

If, as shown in FIG. 4, there is provided an ignition plug 43 near ajournal box 40, and supply ports 41 and delivery ports (not shown) areeach fitted with a valve (not shown) operable at a prescribed intervalin synchronization with the rotation of the paired rotary members, thenthe aforesaid object will be easily attained, enabling drive power to bedrawn out from one or both of the shafts of said paired rotary members.

What I claim is: 1. A rotary mechanism comprising: 1. a housing defininga spherical chamber; 2. a coupling spherical member disposed at thecenter of said'spherical chamber; 3. a pair of rotary membersreceived insaid spherical chamber ,each rotary member including i a. a pair ofround truncated conical members whose apical surface abuts on thecoupling spherical member slidably and in airtight relationship, whosebottom peripheral edge is pressed against the inner walls of saidspherical chamber in a similar manner and whose top por-' outerperipheral surface of said coupling spherical member,

c. a shaft fixed at one end to said partitioning plate member, extendedat right angles to the axis of said paired conical members andpenetrating said spherical chamber housing so as to rotatably supportsaid paired rotary i'ne'mbers,v

wherein a pair of said rotary members rotatably engage said commoncoupling spherical member with the shafts thereof so disposed astodefine an angle of less than and thus four conical members and twopartitionwall members define four compartments whose volumes can bevaried according to the rotation of said two" sets of paired rotarymembers; and

4. a plurality of sets of supply and delivery ports of fluidcommunicable with said four compartments,

each set of supplyand deliveryports being-.so arranged as to have saidshaft interposed therebetween.

il i t

1. A rotary mechanism comprising:
 1. a housing defining a sphericalchamber;
 2. a coupling spherical member disposed at the center of saidspherical chamber;
 3. a pair of rotary members received in saidspherical chamber, each rotary member including a. a pair of roundtruncated conical members whose apical surface abuts on the couplingspherical member slidably and in airtight relationship, whose bottomperipheral edge is pressed against the inner walls of said sphericalchamber in a similar manner and whose top portion defines a verticalangle of 90* coaxially with an imaginary line passing through thespherical center, b. a partitioning plate member disposed in a planeincluding said imaginary line passing through the spherical center andshaped like a truncated sectorial form, whose apical surface contactsthe outer peripheral surface of said coupling spherical member, whoseouter edge abuts against the inner walls of said spherical chamberslidably and in airtight relationship and both sides of which are fixedon the peripheral surface of said paired truncated conical members so asto couple said members together, and c. a shaft fixed at one end to saidpartitioning plate member, extended at right angles to the axis of saidpaired conical members and penetrating said spherical chamber housing soas to rotatably support said paired rotary members, wherein a pair ofsaid rotary members rotatably engage said common coupling sphericalmember with the shafts thereof so disposed as to define an angle of lessthan 180* and thus four conical members and two partition wall membersdefine four compartments whose volumes can be varied according to therotation of said Two sets of paired rotary members; and
 4. a pluralityof sets of supply and delivery ports of fluid communicable with saidfour compartments, each set of supply and delivery ports being soarranged as to have said shaft interposed therebetween.
 2. a couplingspherical member disposed at the center of said spherical chamber;
 3. apair of rotary members received in said spherical chamber, each rotarymember including a. a pair of round truncated conical members whoseapical surface abuts on the coupling spherical member slidably and inairtight relationship, whose bottom peripheral edge is pressed againstthe inner walls of said spherical chamber in a similar manner and whosetop portion defines a vertical angle of 90* coaxially with an imaginaryline passing through the spherical center, b. a partitioning platemember disposed in a plane including said imaginary line passing throughthe spherical center and shaped like a truncated sectorial form, whoseapical surface contacts the outer peripheral surface of said couplingspherical member, whose outer edge abuts against the inner walls of saidspherical chamber slidably and in airtight relationship and both sidesof which are fixed on the peripheral surface of said paired truncatedconical members so as to couple said members together, and c. a shaftfixed at one end to said partitioning plate member, extended at rightangles to the axis of said paired conical members and penetrating saidspherical chamber housing so as to rotatably support said paired rotarymembers, wherein a pair of said rotary members rotatably engage saidcommon coupling spherical member with the shafts thereof so disposed asto define an angle of less than 180* and thus four conical members andtwo partition wall members define four compartments whose volumes can bevaried according to the rotation of said Two sets of paired rotarymembers; and
 4. a plurality of sets of supply and delivery ports offluid communicable with said four compartments, each set of supply anddelivery ports being so arranged as to have said shaft interposedtherebetween.